Baseball pitching machine



March 1959 P. s. GIOVAGNOLI BASEBALL PITCHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed NovQs. 1956 INVENTOR. I flio/ j /m dyna/f BY p( Z/ v URWEY March 17, 1959 P. s; GIOVAGNOLI BASEBALL PITCHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 5, 1956 zmw Ar wry wyrw Y I r B Z 0 W a a 0 m W L 6 conditions of use.

chanical means forming a part of the structure.

BASEBALL PITCIHNG MACHINE Paul S. Giovagnoli, Kansas City, Mo.

Application November 5, 1956, Serial No. 620,234

8 Claims. (Cl. 124--7) This invention relates to automatic machines for throwing game balls or the like, and more particularly,

to a new and novel baseball pitching device which is collapsible and adapted to successively throw baseballs along paths of substantially uniform trajectory.

As is pointed out in my copending application entitled Baseball Pitching Apparatus, Serial No. 541,959, filed 'October 21, 1955, now Patent No. 2,806,461, of which this is a continuation-in-part, baseball teams have long been confronted with the problem of providing practice for batters without the necessity of human pitchers being utilized to throw practice balls to the other players during the warm-up or batting practice period prior to a game.

Therefore, it is one of the most important objects of this invention to provide a machine for automatically,

successively throwing baseballs to a batter for practice or the like, the baseballs traveling paths of substantially uniform trajectory.

Although machines of this type have been known and 'utilized for some time to provide batting practice for baseball teams, and additionally for amusement to many persons not regularly engaged in playing baseball, by

providing the throwing machines at recreation or concession stands wherein a predetermined number of balls are thrown by the machine upon depositing of a coin therein, such previously known machines have certain inherent disadvantages which are overcome by the instant pitching device.

Many types of machines suitable for such public use have been previously suggested and put in practice, but because of the complexity of parts necessary in order to actuate the throwing arm mechanism only a predeter for quick disassembly and storage, as Well as being of strong construction and long wearing under adverse It is a further object in this respect to provide such a machine which requires little or no adjustment during continuous operation, successive baseballs being thrown in a substantially uniform trajectory over long periods of time without any adjustment being necessary to the machine.

It is also an object of this invention to provide portable, collapsible baseball throwing apparatus wherein the Unite tates Patent,

trajectory of the ball may be quickly and easily changed by the operator of the machine by adjustment of me- Also an important object of this invention is to provide a machine as alluded to above wherein the means for varying the trajectory of the balls thrown by the machine,

includes a substantially upright member into which is rotatably threaded an extension whereby upon move ment, the relative angle of the structure with respect-to the ground is changed, thereby altering the point at which the ball is released from the throwing arm.

Another object of this invention is to provide baseball throwing apparatus wherein recoil mechanism is coupled to the unit for relieving strain on the unit during swinging of the throwing arm and to prevent balls being displaced from the ball delivery mechanism.

Other more minor objects and details of construction will become manifest as the following specification progresses,

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of baseball apparatus made pursuant to the present invention and showing the recoil mechanism forming a part thereof.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view showing details of construction of the ball delivery chute.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, plan view of the uppermost end of the ball throwing arm support and showing the method of interconnection between the driven sprocket and the throwing arm.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the instant invention taken from the rear thereof and slightly above the center.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of the rear portion of the ball throwing apparatus illustrating the same at a point slightly to the right of the center.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, plan view of the ball delivery chute and the ball throwing hand, certain parts being in section; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view along the line 7-7 in Figure 3.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, a portable, collapsible baseball throwing machine embodying the concepts of the instant invention is designated broadly by the numeral 10 and includes a base unit generally numbered 12 which is composed essentially of a pair of spaced, substantially parallel supporting members 14, a pair of spaced, substantially parallel frames 16 and 18, and adjustable means enumerated broadly as 20.

From Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5 it can be perceived that unit 12 comprises the vertical members 14 to which areattached at opposite ends thereof, horizontal, tubular elements 22 and 24 respectively, parallel tubes or rods 26 and 28 which make up frame 16, members 30 and 32 which comprise frame 18 and transverse bar 34 joined to frame 16 and tubular element 22.

It should be herein pointed out that frames 16 and 18 respectively, are rotatably secured to support members 14 and tubular element 22 respectively for swinging movement toward and away from support members 14. A cross member 36 interconnects the ends of tubes 26 and 28 remote from tubular element 24 and extends laterally from tube 28 a short distance. As illustrated, the ends of members 30 and 32 remote from tubular element 22 cent cross member 36.

Suitable shafts (not shown) are provided in tubular element 22 for mounting wheels 40 and also a shaft 42 is provided in tubular element 24 which extends beyond rod 28 a designated distance. Rotatably mounted on the end of shaft 42 extending beyond tube 23, is a sleeve 44 to which is secured at the outermost end thereof, a crank 46. Mounted on arm 48 of crank 46 is elongated ball in Fig. 1.

throwing structure designated broadly by the numeral 50- to present a transversely concave channel-like face 60 therein extending longitudinally of hand 54. As is apparent from Fig. 1 of the drawings, a portion of arm .52

extends above face 60 for supporting a baseball when the latter is disposed on face 60 and it is of further note that hand 54 is adjustably mounted on the end of arm 52 for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

A substantially C-shaped spring 62 is secured to tubular element 22 by clamping mechanism 64 joined to support member 14 and there is provided on the outermost end of spring 62 a rod 66 extending laterally from one face thereof, the direction of extension being away from the curvature of spring 62. Disposed on'the outermost end of an arm 68 of crank 46 is a pulley 70 rotatably mounted thereon by virtue of pin 72. Means for interconnecting arm 68 and rod 66 comprises a flexible cable 74 having a loop 76 disposed on pulley 70 and clamp 78 adjustably secured to rod 66.

Also mounted on tubular element 22 is a prime mover 80 which in the preferable form of the invention, comprises an electrical motor and a sprocket wheel 82 is secured to shaft 42 adjacent rod 28 by any suitable method such as welding or the like.

There is additionally provided on supporting members 14 a horizontal tube 84 which rotatably receives a shaft 86 on opposite ends of which are disposed a small sprocket wheel 88 and a relatively large pulley. Mounted over sprocket wheel 82 and wheel 88 is a link chain 89 'which is held in relatively tight engagement with its respective sprocket wheels by an idler 91 pivotally mounted on support members 14 below shaft 86. From the drawings it is manifest that sprocket wheel 88 is disposed adjacent sprocket wheel 82 while pulley 90 is located on the 4 'turn at a much lower R. P. M. than the power shaft of prime mover 80. The number of baseballs 102 which are to be thrown per minute by machine 10 will, of course,

determine the pulley ratios to be engineered into the machine, such being well within the knowledge of those skilled in this art.

Welded to sleeve 44 is a radially extending boss 104 and secured to the outermost face of sprocket wheel 82 in engaging alignment with boss 104 is a pin 106. Suitable bracing for arm 52 may take the form of a bracing member 108 bolted to boss 104 and arm 52, and a radially extending brace 110 welded to sleeve 44 and arm 68.

Ball delivery apparatus broadly designated by the numeral 112 preferably comprises a curved trough 114 which is conveniently composed of a number of elongated rods formed in a jig to produce the trough 114 as shown As is apparent in this figure, the outermost end of trough 114 is preferably much higher than the end 'thereof adjacent unit 12 so that balls will roll freely therein and in this respect there is provided on the uppermost part of frame 16, a substantially L-shaped channel 116 which directs balls traveling longitudinally of unit 12 in trough 114 laterally therefrom to a point where the same may be picked up by throwing hand 54.

Mounted on cross member 36 is a U-shaped clamp 118 to which is attached a substantially horizontal rod 120 4 having a disc 122 on the end thereof adjacent channel member 116. It can be perceived that as balls gravitate down trough 114 and are directed laterally from unit 12 by L-shaped channel member 116, the first ball comes to rest against disc 122. Inasmuch as the distance between the most adjacent segment of disc 122 to channel 116 is less than the diameter of ball 102, the ball 102 rests between disc 122 and channel 116 in a position preparatory to being picked up by hand 54. In this respect it is notable that the section 56 has a notch 124 for clearing disc 122 and section 58 has a notch 126 for clearing the outermost end of the vertical wall 130 of channel member 116. Therefore, as the hand 54 moves between disc 122 and channel member 116, ball 102 is picked up on face 60 but hand member 54 does not engage any of the adjacent components of unit 12.

Adjustable means 20 preferably comprises a normally upright tube 134, the lowermost end of which is, as noted,

connected to frame 18 and also disposed on the lowermcst end of tube 134 is a substantially rectangular base plate 136 having a perforation 138 therein. Rotatably threaded into the uppermost end of tube 134 is a similarly threaded rod 140 having a cross arm 142 on the uppermost end thereof and a stop 144 secured thereto intermediate the ends of rod 140.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, stop 144 may conveniently take the form of a pair of nuts in engagement so that the same do not rotate upon rotation of rod 140 in tube 134. It is, of course, manifest that in lieu of the nuts, an element may be welded to rod 140. Attached to cross member 36 and extending rearwardly from machine 10, is a stopreceiving hook broadly 146 and which comprises an L-shaped plate having legs 148 and 150. Leg 148 is welded to cross member 36 and a slot 152 is provided in the L-shaped plate and which extends through leg 150 and into leg 148. Slot 152 is of sufficient size to receive rod 140 therein and leg 150 also has a pair of perforations 154 adapted to receive the ends of a coil spring 156.

As clearly evident from Fig. 5 of the drawings, an eye 158 is secured to tube 134 intermediate the ends thereof through which is passed one end of spring 156 prior to the ends thereof being hooked in perforations 154. In this manner it can be seen that stop 144 is biased into engagement with the lowermost face of leg 148 by spring 156 while at the same time leg 150 prevents movement of rod 140 outwardly through slot 152.

Recoil mechanism broadly numerated 160 is provided to minimize shock imparted to unit 10 during swinging movement of arm 52 and to prevent balls 102 from being displaced from trough 114 during such swinging movement.

Recoil mechanism 160 preferably may be formed b providing an elongated rod 162 extending longitudinally of unit 12 and having an opening 164 in each end thereof adapted for receiving a stake 166 which is driven into the ground and securely holds rod 162 in place. Secured to the outermost ends of rod 162 are springs 168 and 170 respectively which extend laterally from the rod 162. Springs 168 and 170 respectively are adapted to be secured to unit 12 and in this respect, it has been found preferable that the spring 168 be secured to unit 12 adjacent the lowermost end of tube 134 and that spring 170 be secured to bar 172 mounted on tubular element 22 intermediate the ends thereof.

Since it is contemplated that machine 10 is to be operated by a prime mover 80 in the nature of an electric motor, there is provided a suitable electrical conduit 174 connected to motor 80 and which has a suitable switch 176 connected thereto and a standard A. C. plug 178 on 'the outermost end thereof.

In operation, machine 10 is actuated by inserting plug 178 in a suitable source and actuating switch 176 to the On position, thereby energizing motor 80 which in turn drives pulley 92 to turn pulley 94 by virtue of V-belt 96,

pulley 90 connected to pulley 98 by V-belt 100 and sprocket wheel 82 by wheel 88 disposed on shaft 86. Because of the speed reduction, it can be seen that sprocket wheel 82 will be turned at a predetermined relative low speed.

The normal inoperative position of ball-throwing structure 50 is illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings wherein it can be seen that the spring 62, because of the interconnection afforded by flexible cable 74 between rod 66 and arm 68, maintains arm 52 in a substantially horizontal position extending outwardly from the front of machine 10. However, as sprocket wheel 82 is caused to rotate in a clockwise direction by motor 80, the pin 106 secured to the outermost face of sprocket wheel 82, rotates into engagement with the boss 104 welded to sleeve 44. As pin 106 acts on boss 104, arm 52 is caused to also rotate in a clockwise direction about the shaft 42, thus causing spring 62 to yield and tensioning the same as arm 52 describes a first portion of its arc against the force of spring 62.

Under the action of pin 106, arm 52 is moved through an arc .of substantially 180 where the ball pickup hand 54 is causedto move between channel member 116 and disc122, thus picking up a ball 102 on face 60. Ball 102 rests against the portion of arm 52 extending above face 60 until arm 52 is actuated by spring 62 in a manner hereinafter set forth. It is manifest that as a ball is picked up by arm 52, the remaining balls disposed in trough 114 will gravitate downwardly therein and another. ball 102 will become disposed against disc 122.

When the arm 68has reached apoint in its are wherein the same has passed just beyond a line passing through the arm 68 as shown in Fig. 1, the so-called past-center point, arm 52 will be accelerated ahead of shaft 42 under the. action of spring 62 through flexible cable 74. Thus,

it'can be seen that a ball 102 disposed on face 60 will be accelerated along the longitudinal length of hand 54 until the outermost end thereof is reached and will then be moved along a predetermined trajectory toward the batter.

Because of the interconnection between spring 62 and arm 68, after arm 52 has been accelerated by spring 62 unleashing its potential energy created by tensioning of the same, spring 62 will prevent arm 52 from describing a greater are than substantially four oclock and thus arm 52 will remain in the substantially horizontal position as shown in Figure 1 until pin 106 has again been rotated into a position engaging boss 104.

It can now be understood that inasmuch as balls are released from hand 54 at substantially the same point on the are which throwing arm structure 50 describes, balls will be successively thrown from machine along paths of substantially uniform trajectory. It can be further appreciated that the trajectory of such balls can be adjusted by changing the point at which the balls 102 are released from hand 54 during the rotation of arm 52.

Means for varying the point of ball release takes the form of adjustable means and it is to be perceived that upon rotation of threaded rod 140 in tube 134, stop hook 146 will be moved upwardly by virtue of the stop 144 on rod 140, thereby elevating the rearward end of frame 16 with respect to frame 18 and causing shaft 42 to be moved forwardly with respect to tubular element 22.

There is thus presented quickly adjustable means for varying the angle of supporting members 14 with respect to the ground to vary the trajectory of balls thrown from the machine 10.

It is to be pointed out that machine 10 may be secured to the ground by virtue of a member being driven through caused by the accelerating rotation of arm .52. This re coil mechanism furnishes the further advantage of preventing displacement of bal1s'102 from trough 114 during operation of machine 10. v

Of further note is the fact that machine 10 is highly portable and may be quickly and easily collapsed for movement from one point to another, such collapsing being accomplished by initially removing, bar 34, the bar 34,being preferably secured to unit 12 by a bolt on each end thereof held in place by a wing nut or the like, followed by movement of frame 16 upwardly so that stop hook 146 clears stop 144 whereupon the rod 140 may be removed from slot 152 and thus permit frame 16 to be swung about the uppermost end of supporting members 14. u r v It is contemplated that adjusting means 20 be pivotally mounted on the rearmost end of frame 18 -and thus, when the ends of spring 156 have been removed from their respective perforations 154, tube 134 may be swung down wardly in substantially overlying relationship to frame 18, whereupon frame 18 may then be swung about tubular element 22 into substantially overlying relationship to supporting members 14. In this position, frame 16 may then be swung about the uppermost end of. supporting members 14 into overlying relationship to frame 18 in its folded position.

Since flexible cable 74 is secured to arm 68 by a loop passed over pulley 70, cable 74 may be quickly and easily detached from crank 46 thus permitting arm 52 to be rotated to a position in substantial alignment with supporting members 14. Machine 10 in this condition is portable for easy carrying and may be stored .in a relatively small space until again required for use. r v A lso of importance is the fact that a morepermanent adjustment in the trajectory of the balls thrown by ma chine 10 may be accomplished, by adjusting the longitudinal angularity of hand 54 with respect to the longitudinal length of arm 52, thus changing the point at which balls 102 are released during the are which structure 50 describes. Suitable adjustability of hand 54 with respect to arm 52 may be obtained by provision of arcuate slots (not shown) in the part of hand 54 normally connected to arm 52 and which receive bolt and nut means releasably securing hand 54 to arm 52. Upon slight loosening of bolt and nut means 180 and rotation of hand 54 relative to arm 52, the angularity of hand 54 may be varied to change the point at which balls 102 are released.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be securedby Letters Patent is:

1. In a portable machine for automatically, successively throwing baseballs along paths of substantially uniform trajectory, a base unit including normally upright structure, elongated frames rotatably joined at corresponding ends thereof to upper and lower portions respectively of the structure, said frames normally being disposed in vertically spaced, substantially parallel relationship, the lowermost of said frames being adapted to be disposed on a substantially horizontal support and extensible means connected to and spanning the distance between opposed ends of the frames remote from the structure whereby the relative angle of the latter with respect to the support may be varied by extending and retracting said extensible means; a shaft rotatably mounted on the structure for rotation about a substantially horiiontal axis; a prime mover on the unit and operably coupled to said shaft for rotating the latter; an elongated throwing arm having one end thereof rotatably mounted on the shaft and extending radially therefrom; a throwing hand assembly mounted on the opposite end of the arm and adapted for receiving and supporting a ball until the latter is thrown; a device on the shaft, rotatable therewith and releasably engageable with the arm for rotating the latter in one direction through a first portion of a circular are around the shaft; past-center actuating mechanism con,-

pied with the unit and the arm for acceleratingly rotating the latter through a' second portion of said are; and npparatus on the unit adapted for delivering a ball to said assembly during rotation of the arm through said first portion of said are, the trajectory of the balls thrown from said assembly being dependent uponthc relative eugularity of the structure with respect to said support.

2. A portable machine for throwing baseballs as set forth in claim 1 wherein said extensible means is releasably connected to said opposite ends of the frame whereby the base unit may be collapsed by removing said extensible means and swinging each of the frames toward said structure in overlying relationship thereto.

3-. A portable machine for throwing baseballs as set forth in claim 2 wherein said extensible means includes a pair of elongated, relatively telescoped components, one of the components being longitudinally shiftablc with respect to the other element, said one component being releasably connected to said opposite end of one of the frames and the other components being releasably joined to said opposite end of the other frame whereby upon extension or retraction of-the components relative to each other, the relatively angularity of the structure with respect to said support may be varied.

4. A portable machine for throwing baseballs as set "forth in claim 5 wherein is provided a stop on one of the components, a hook on said opposite end of a corresponding frame, said hook releasably receiving said "one component and resilient means interconnecting the hook and said one component for normally biasing the I stop into engagement with said book.

5. A portable machine for throwing baseballs as set "forth in claim 4 wherein said components comprise an internally threaded tube receiving a rod complementa'lly threaded into the same, the tube being releasably joined to the lower of said frames and the rod having said step thereon disposed in releasable engagement with "said hook, there being means on the uppermost end of said rod for rotating the same relative to the tube.

6. A portable machine for throwing baseballs as set forth in claim 1 wherein is provided parallel recoil mechanism coupled with the unit and adapted to be secured to said support for permitting the unit to shift horizontally to a limited extent with respect to said support during swinging of the arm for minimizing shock imparted to the unit.

7. A portable machine for throwing baseballs as set forth in claim 6 wherein said recoil mechanism includes an elongated member adapted to be secured to said support and resilient means interconnecting the member and said unit, said resilient means including spaced, elongated, resilient elements extending laterally from the member in one direction at each end thereof and dis posed in substantially parallel relationship whereby the unit reeiprocates horizontally on the support in substantially parallelism with said member.

8. A portable machine for throwing baseballs as set forth in claim 7 wherein each of said resilient elements is of spring steel and includes an elongated, relatively straight length integral with a coiled portion whereby return of the unit to its initial throwing position during each recoil movement is assured.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Walter Oct. 21, 1911 1,344,378 Butler June 22, 1920 2,655,908 Calleo Oct. 20, 1953 Emilian Sept. 28, 1954 

